This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Various passive and active occupant restraint systems are known for enhancing occupant protection in the event of a pending or actual vehicle impact. Passive systems are deployed with no action required by the occupant. For example, the use of frontal airbags protecting a vehicle occupant in the event a frontal crash or a laterally offset frontal crash is common in modern automotive technology. The frontal airbag for the driver is usually located in the hub area of the steering wheel and the frontal airbag for the front seated passenger is usually located inside the instrument panel.
For many years, attempts have been made to adapt frontal airbag technologies into the rear side of a front seat in order to provide enhanced protection for a rear seated occupant. Examples consistent with the prior art are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As illustrated in both examples, a front vehicle seat is shown operatively associated with an airbag module at a rear side of a backrest of a front seat. The deployed airbag basically extends rearwards (in regards to the vehicle direction) and upwards from its connection to the backrest.
While known inflatable restraint systems may have proven to be generally acceptable for their intended purposes, prior art systems for rear seat occupant protection are associated with disadvantages. In this regard, airbags for these known systems have relatively large cushion volumes, require more inflation gas to fill, and may require more packaging space. Due to the relatively large cushion size, such airbags may require inflators with faster rise rates. Additionally, these airbags may not best accommodate rear-facing child seats.
Despite the advancements provided by known inflatable restraint systems, it remains desirable to advance the relevant art by further enhancing rear occupant protection.